Loa
The Loa (the troll name for the often lesser Wild Gods)World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1, Chapter III AncientKalimdor, "The Empire of Zul and the Awakening of the Aqir" are a collection of spirits worshiped by trolls on Azeroth. Loa spirits are more powerful than the elementals, but not as powerful as deities.Magic & Mayhem, 46 They are ancient to Azeroth, formed by the life giving powers of Freya the Keeper, who also tethered their spirits to the Emerald Dream. All Wild gods are called Loa by the trolls, but not all Loa are Wild gods. The Loa spirits such as Bwonsamdi and other various loa resembling spirits of trolls have no connection to the Wild gods or the Emerald Dream. They are in fact, ancient and powerful troll ancestors that now live in the Shadow Lands. Not all trolls that die become Loa. What makes a troll spirit a loa is a mystery, though it is speculated that it has something to do with the amount and type of magics they acquired during life. Background The trolls draw power for their voodoo magics by performing rituals and invoking the Primal Gods, Old Gods,Magic & Mayhem, 22 forest spirits, and ancestral spirits: their Loa spirits and gods. They may appear as a glowing spheres, emanating ancient wisdom and sadness. The undulation of shining tentacles within its surface are said to grant visions of possible futures. Supposedly, these spirits are mighty entities that grant the faithful extraordinary powers. If a Shadow Hunter calls upon these "voodoo" spirits, they gain special blessings with which they can combat darkness and help those in need. The abilities granted vary according to the Loa the shadow hunter calls upon.Horde Player's Guide, 68 Almost any being who has died and transcended death can be worshiped as a loa, including Forsaken shadow ascendants. Through faith and communion with the Loa, Shadow Hunters learn magic that hinders enemies and aids allies, gaining a unique mix of spells that delve into the more occult aspects of the Loa. The five high priests in Zul'Gurub each have a corresponding Primal God. High Priestess Mar'li worships Shadra, High Priest Thekal worships Shirvallah, High Priestess Arlokk worships Bethekk, High Priestess Jeklik worships Hir'eek and High Priest Venoxis worships Hethiss. The three high prophets in Gundrak each have a corresponding Primal God. Gal'darah worships Akali, Moorabi worships Mam'toth and Slad'ran worships Sseratus. In Battle for Azeroth These named Loa appear or are mentioned in the expansion: * * (Loa of the Grave) * (Loa of Raptors) * * (aka Eraka no Kimbul) ** (servant of Kimbul) * * (Loa of Pterrordax) * * * * The troll pantheon (Loa gods) All trolls worship a pantheon of primal forces; a sacred animal represents each aspect of the pantheon.Dark Factions, 89 The trolls believe that all substance, living, sentient, or not, all have a it's own spirit and are all considered as Loa. This could range from the ground, to a single warrior. They also believe that when spirits die such as fallen warriors, their spirit lives on and should be honored through ceremonial practice. This includes Voodoo, an important magic used by trolls. Amani Loa The trolls of Zul'Aman worship primal beings they call the Forest Gods.Lands of Conflict, 115 * Ula-tek, Goddess of Serpents. * Nalorakk, the Bear. * Akil'zon, the Eagle. * Jan'alai, the Dragonhawk. * Halazzi, the Lynx. Darkspear Loa * Bwonsamdi, the Guardian of the Dead. Former Darkspear Loa *Rezan, the God of the Hunt. Originally part of the Gurubashi Empire, the Darkspear also continue to worship many of the Gurubashi loa.Ask Creative Development Drakkari Loa * Sseratus, the Serpent. * Har'koa, the Snow leopard. * Rhunok, the Arctic Bear. * Quetz'lun, the Wind serpent. * Mam'toth, the Mammoth. * Akali, the Rhino. Drakkari Gods * Dubra'Jin * Zim'Abwa * Zim'Rhuk, the Wise One. * Zim'Torga, the Mother of Prosperity. Gurubashi Loa * Hakkar, Blood God, and his avatar. * Shadra, the Spider. * Shirvallah, the Tiger. * Bethekk, the Panther. * Hir'eek, the Bat. * Hethiss, the Snake. Sandfury Loa * Kimbul, God of Tigers, Lord of beasts, King of Cats, the Prey's Doom. * Mueh'zala, God of Death, Father of Sleep, Son of Time, the Night's Friend. Shadowhunter Loa * Legba, Loa of Speed. * Lukou, Loa of Healing and Respite. * Ogoun, Loa of War. * Dambala, Loa of serpents and treachery. * Samedi, Loa of the cemeteries and the restful sleep of the dead. * Shango, Controller of the Realm of Storms. Zandalari Loa * Zanza, worshiped by the Zandalar Tribe. * Gonk the Great Hunter, is an ancient spirit Zandalarian tales. Worshipped as Loa * Shadow ascendants Servitors of the Loa High priests * Arlokk, high priestess of Bethekk. * Hawinni, high priest of Quetz'lun. * Jeklik, high priestess of Hir'eek. * Mar'li, high priestess of Shadra. * Mu'funu, high priest of Quetz'lun. * Thekal, high priest of Shirvallah. * Tua-Tua, high priestess of Quetz'lun. * Venoxis, high priest of Hethiss. High prophets * Gal'darah, high prophet of Akali. * Moorabi, high prophet of Mam'toth. * Slad'ran, high prophet of Sseratus. Inspiration The names of the Loa gods are inspired by (also Lwa or L'wha) - intermediary spirits of and other Vodoun syncretic religions of similar origin. The character attributes of some of the trollkind pantheon Loa gods are in line with with attributes of their Vodoun namesakes, but others are of pure creative license. The Loa gods and the troll pantheon, alone, do not seem to be the only root of inspiration from cultures for the trollkind race. The trolls' native tongue, Zandali, for example, bears a strong resemblance to the syllabic characteristics of both the from the Caribbean and their respective dialects. The trolls' Low Common dialect also resembles the . References See also External links Category:Eternals Category:Loa Category:Religions